Broken World Book Four - The Staff of Law (4 page)

“
There’s no need for Kieran to be bound. He’s not going to try
to escape amongst so many soldiers.”

The King
considered this, eyeing the scowling Prince. “Perhaps not.” He
gestured, and a noble stepped up to Kieran, drawing a dagger.

As he sliced
the thongs that bound the Prince’s hands, he muttered, “I’d like to
sink this into your black heart, you snake.”

“
That will do, Orland.” Ronos looked at Kieran. “You remember
my son, Prince Orland?”

“
We’ve never met.”

“
Liar,” Orland said. “You’ll pay for what you did to my
sister.”

Kieran rubbed
his wrists. “It seems my brother really knew how to make
enemies.”

Ronos snorted
and turned to take a cup of wine from a serving tray as the servant
who bore it passed amongst the nobles, most of whom helped
themselves to a cup. Talsy waved the man away, and Kieran was not
offered any. The King indicated that Talsy should sit on one of the
padded chairs, and she did, aching with fatigue. Ronos settled on
the chair beside her and turned his attention to her. Kieran was
the only noble left standing when all the others had found
chairs.

“
So, you are Princess...?”

“
Talsy.”

“
Allow me to introduce my entourage.” He reeled off a list of
counts, dukes and lords, ending with Prince Orland.

Talsy nodded
to each, impatient to get the formalities over with, then asked,
“What would it take to convince you that Kieran is not Tyrander,
King Ronos?”

He sighed.
“Perhaps a missive from his lady mother, the Queen. But she is
probably dead by his hand, as his father is.”

“
She’s not, but it would be difficult to get a letter from her,
since she’s far away, on the other side of the
mountains.”

“
Well, then.” The King shrugged. “You’ll just have to take my
word for it. He may have fooled you with his new identity, but I
met him six years ago when he wooed and won my
daughter.”

Talsy shook
her head. “I’ve met them both, and seen them together. I admit they
were as alike as two peas in a pod, but for Tyrander’s white streak
and beard. Yet if I looked closely, I could see they were very
different inside. Complete opposites, in fact. Tyrander was a cruel
drunkard, but Kieran was raised by a retired soldier from his
father’s army, and did not know he was a prince until we came here
from another continent. You see, when the Queen bore identical
twins, the King gave Kieran away rather than have them feuding for
the throne.”

Ronos sipped
his wine. “It’s a good story, Princess Talsy, and so plausible. But
Tyrander never had a twin. I’m sure you’re telling me exactly what
he’s told you, and I admire your loyalty, misplaced though it
is.”

Talsy groaned
in frustration and raised a hand to her aching head, sickness
twisting her stomach again.

The King
turned to her, putting aside his wine. “My dear, you should go and
lie down, you’re clearly exhausted. Orland will take you to a
private tent, and I’ll have some food sent to you there.”

Talsy allowed
Orland to coax her from her chair, too tired to argue any further.
Ronos appeared to be a kind man, and was not about to execute
Kieran out of hand, so there would be time to convince him when she
felt better. With this in mind, she cast Kieran a sympathetic
glance as she was led past him, and he responded with a sad but
reassuring smile. Orland took her to a comfortable tent, complete
with a soft bed onto which she sank with a sigh. He left her to
rest, and later a servant brought her a good game stew, which she
picked at before letting sleep carry her off in warm dark arms.

The next
morning, they left the camp with Kieran bound to a bay horse, led
by a soldier. She rode next to Orland, a handsome, if rather
nondescript young man with his father’s eyes and black hair,
although lacking his great size. The army saluted their King as the
party rode from the valley, escorted by a platoon of mounted
troops. The Aggapae fell in behind, unhindered by Ronos’ men. They
headed west, parallel to the distant mountains but away from the
pursuing Torrak Jahar.

By late
afternoon, they had traversed many leagues and crossed two rivers,
entering a vast area of cultivated land. The city that sheltered
within its stone walls, like so many others, was larger than Talsy
had expected. This one differed in as much as the castle did not
hide at its centre, but stood close to the wall, guarding the town.
Another difference that surprised Talsy was the lack of a tar web.
Unlike every other city she had encountered on this continent,
Ronos’ home was not a tar town, and its wall was an ancient rampart
built of dressed stone. The city was situated at the base of a
mighty cliff, which protected its back from enemies as well as the
winter storms’ wild winds. The cliff looked odd, as though the land
had risen up in a great wave behind the city, poised to engulf it,
but never fallen.

Within the
tall brown walls, whitewashed houses with black beams lined cobbled
streets, and a bustling populace filled them. Talsy glimpsed many
little marketplaces in side streets, where vendors sold all manner
of wares from brightly painted carts under gay awnings. Housewives
hurried past with baskets of shopping, urchins played on the
pavements and street sweepers leant on their brooms. Many of the
pretty houses had window boxes of bright flowers that sweetened the
air with their fragrance, and bright washing dried on lines strung
across the roads. The cleanliness, industry and friendliness of
Ronos’ city amazed Talsy. People cheered the King as he rode past,
which also surprised her, for not many kings were well loved by
their people.

At the castle,
a towering fortress of dressed grey stone with lofty battlements
overlooking the sweeping vale that led to it, servants came out to
take the King’s cloak, see to his horse and brush dust from his
clothes. One guided Talsy to a sumptuous suite where olive curtains
framed tall, diamond-paned windows that overlooked a pretty garden.
Landscapes and tapestries decorated the pale blue walls and several
finely woven rugs softened the polished black slate floors. A
canopied four-poster bed with a quilted crimson spread dominated
the bedroom, whose pale yellow walls were home to several portraits
of portly men. A variety of dainty ornaments stood on delicate
carved tables, and a yellow-tinged mirror hung above the dressing
table with its frilly topped stool.

A bevy of
serving women arrived to bathe and pamper her with aromatic oils
before dressing her in a lacy fawn gown festooned with frills, bows
and flowers. She plucked at the finery in disgust, but, apart from
a few protestations that were surprised out of her, she bore it
with good grace. The girls washed and brushed her hair until it
regained a little of its former lustre, dressed it in elaborate
plaits and twists and arranged it about her face. As the women put
the finishing touches to their work, a slender woman in a plain
black dress came in. The serving women curtsied and left, and Talsy
turned to face the newcomer. She knew who the woman was from the
pain in her hazel eyes and her air of stiff embarrassment.

“
Princess Merina, I presume?”

The Princess
nodded and sat on a stool, her hands clasped. “I had to meet you.
Father says you’re Tyrander’s new bride. I wanted to assure you
that you’re safe now.”

Talsy snorted.
“Well, I’m not sure what from, but thanks all the same.
Unfortunately, your father has made a mistake. The man he captured
isn’t Tyrander.”

“
He told me what you said. Tyrander hasn’t mistreated you,
then?”

“
Kieran has not, no. Tyrander tortured me and tried to kill
me.”

Merina blinked
several times. “I don’t know how he managed to fool you so well.
Perhaps with magic, but I glimpsed the man they brought in, and it
is Tyrander, I swear it.”

“
I’m really getting tired of this argument,” Talsy said.
“Kieran is Tyrander’s identical twin. Why don’t you spend some time
with him and get to know him, then you’ll see that I’m
right.”

Merina
shuddered. “I know him well enough to know that he’s a master of
duplicity. He can act very well; he fooled me for a long time.”

“
What did he do to you?”

“
I’d rather not talk about it.” Merina rose. “I’ll see you at
supper. The servants will guide you.”

“
What about Kieran?” Talsy called after her as the Princess
headed for the door.

“
He’s in the dungeon, where he belongs.”

Merina slipped
out of the door and closed it behind her. Talsy sighed. Clearly
Merina had been through an ordeal, it showed in her haunted eyes
and nervously twisting hands. Having met Tyrander, this did not
surprise Talsy. What fate would Merina condemn Kieran to for his
brother’s crimes, and when was Chanter going to get them out of
this mess? He might have saved them from the Torrak Jahar, but the
Riders had not even caught up and already the Prince was in
danger.

Supper was
fraught with peril for Talsy, since she knew none of the etiquette
required, and watched the others as they dined, following their
example. She was saved from drinking out of the finger bowl when
Orland dunked his fingers in it moments before she reached for it.
Somehow she got through the meal, though she could eat little of
the delicious food and retired early to bed, weak with fatigue.
Even her worry for Kieran could not keep her from the dark abyss of
sleep, and she sank into it gladly.

Kieran paced
his cell, cursing Tyrander. Even after his death, his deeds caused
trouble for his twin. He sat on the hard bed and contemplated his
predicament. At least the cell was clean, and he had eaten a good
meal of roasted meat and braised vegetables in spicy sauce, so
princes evidently received better treatment than most when their
enemies captured them. He hoped it was not meant to be his
last.

All he could
count on now was Chanter’s promise to protect him. It did occur to
him to call the Starsword and cut his way out of the cell, but then
he would have to fight his way out of the city and deal with the
Torrak Jahar, a prospect he did not relish. The sword would have to
be counted on only as a last resort, and, if he did end up on the
gallows, he hoped the Mujar would keep his vow. He glanced up in
surprise as the cell door creaked open.

A slim woman
dressed in black came in, her eyes wide with trepidation. She
possessed a classical beauty, her heart-shaped face and delicate
features framed by bright chestnut hair. Kieran remained seated,
not wishing to loom over her, lowered his eyes and bowed his
head.

She stopped
just inside the open door, a guard within call, and studied him.
“So, it is you.”

Kieran smiled
and shook his head. “Actually, it’s not. I’m not Tyrander.”

“
You think your charade will deceive me? Do you think I
wouldn’t recognise my own husband?”

“
Evidently you don’t, for I’m not him. You must be Princess
Merina. I’m sorry for whatever my brother did to you, though it was
none of my fault. He’s dead now, as he richly deserved, but not
before he caused a great deal of trouble for my companions and
me.”

“
I have to decide your punishment.”

He looked up.
“That must be difficult for one who is obviously as soft-hearted as
you.”

“
How well you know me. I remember the insults that stemmed from
what you called my ‘lack of spine’.”

Kieran sighed.
“I see that I’ve blundered. I don’t know you, Princess, merely
looking at you tells me that you’re a gentle woman.”

“
How good you are at words that drip with honey, My Prince. I
remember them well from our courting days.”

He jumped up,
making her step back and bump into the wall. He swung away to stare
out of the barred window. “Anything I say you’ll twist to convince
yourself that I am who you think I am. Is there no way I can prove
to you that I’m not?”

“
Look at me.”

Kieran faced
her. “I’m his identical twin, Princess; even our mother couldn’t
tell us apart, which is why the King gave me away. Looking at me
won’t help.”

“
You’ve dyed your hair. Tomorrow the guards will wash out the
dye, and there will be my proof.”

“
And when that doesn’t work you’ll have me grow a beard, I
suppose, so you can say there, you have a beard, you’re
Tyrander.”

Merina
frowned. “If it won’t wash out, it must certainly grow out, unless
you are a magician now.”

“
Well, at least that buys me some time. Perhaps Tyrander had
some scars that I don’t?”

She lowered
her gaze. “I wouldn’t know, would I?”

“
Surely you would? You were his wife.”

“
I never saw you unclothed, and well you know it.”

“
Not me, no...” He raised his brows. “You never saw
Tyrander?”

“
How dare you taunt me like this?”

“
I’m not...” Kieran stepped towards her, but stopped at a
warning flash of fear in her eyes. He raised his hands. “I’m sorry,
Princess. Under the circumstances you must think me callous, but
I’m not privy to the things my brother did to you, forgive
me.”

Tears
shimmered in her eyes as she gazed up at him. “You are a consummate
liar, as I well know. It was lies that wooed me, lies that made me
love you, and now I hate you for it.”

Merina spun
and fled into the corridor.

“
Wait!” Kieran started after her, but stopped when a guard
blocked the doorway, a spear aimed at his belly. He retreated, and
the door slammed in his face, the key grating in the lock. He
banged his fist against the wall. “Damn!”